


Gone

by Cypherr



Category: Anthem (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25874626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cypherr/pseuds/Cypherr
Summary: Owen had left, and he hadn't realized how dull everything would be without him.
Relationships: Owen Corley/Male Freelancer, Owen Corley/The Freelancer
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Gone

**Author's Note:**

> I know I should be working on To be Human, but I recently got back into Anthem and I just HAD to write something
> 
> Also, this was written on my phone because my computer is currently in the process of being fixed, so I apologize for any ridiculous spelling and formatting errors

The Heart of Rage- the Cenotaph- had finally been silenced. He had done it. All those they lost in the first expedition hadn't been in vain. They won- that was a cold, hard fact. It didn't _feel_ like he won though. It all felt like some kind of ridiculous daydream. He was the Hero of Fort Tarsis- _the_ Freelancer, but even amongst the cheer, his world seemed so _dull._ The gaping hole in his heart (in his mind) sucked the joy out of him.

Haluk and Faye were ecstatic, celebrating even now, days after their victory. For a moment, he could almost see Owen sitting beside them, laughing and drinking like everything was right with the world. Then, as quick as the vison came, it dissipated, like a ghost- because that's what he was now.

He remembered being confused, for the lack of a better word, at Owen's betrayal; Heartbroken that the man he considered his best friend, the man he- that Owen would leave him, join the Dominion, and take their only chance at silencing the Cenotaph. When he saw him again, he was grateful yes, he owed him Haluk's life after all, but, more than anything, he was _furious._ The rage in his heart had boiled over and, well, he said some things he regrets. He was so _angry_ that Owen had had the audacity to come back, to _apologize_ for a mistake he could never rectify.

The reality of it all had had time to settle in now, though. Plenty of sleepless nights spent agonizing over the fact that it was _all his fault._ He had pushed Owen away- had dismissed him like he was nothing. He had been so- so _happy_ that he was back with Haluk and Faye, that he once more had solid confirmation that the nightmares that plagued his every hour for the past two years were real; Had been trying so desperately to rebuild what the three of them had once had, the he had shoved Owen, someone he cared for far more than anyone else, to the sidelines. He had yelled at him instead of making sure he was okay- had told him it was 'just circumstance' without ever showing him how much he meant to him.

He loved Haluk and Faye, sure, but they weren't _Owen._ Faye was his Cypher, but she wasn't _His Cypher._ It didn't help that everyone around the fort gossiped about him like he was some kind of _criminal._ Tarnishing his name, throwing him to the trash like they had forgotten all Owen had done for them- for _him._

Tassyn was the worst. They had a tentative friendship that was touch-and-go most days, until she had brought him up. Had labeled him a traitor, asked for intel in hope that it could aid their pursuit. He told her to get glitched, as she rightfully deserved, but she was persistent. It was grating on his nerves like nothing else beforehand. Owen was _his._ (He needed to find him- tell him he's sorry. That he- Tell him he wants him _home._ )

He owed Owen his life. After the first venture into the Heart, after being turned away from Haluk's strider, (because even now, the man insisted it was his) he had lost the will to go on. Had lost hope. He had been well and truly alone, haunted by what he had seen- had been through. It was then he met Owen. He had been all smiles and terrible jokes. He had rambled on and on about everything and nothing at all, twisting even the most menial tale into a fantastical adventure.

Owen had never pushed him away, even after he had drunkenly confessed how much of a coward he was to him one night. (It was his first time with alcohol. He hadn't realized that 'truth juice' was meant to be taken literally.) He had told him all about how he had pulled him and Haluk out of the Heart, leaving behind all their fallen comrades. He had simply smiled, patted him on the back, and promised he'd be there when he went back- because they may have only known each other for a couple of months, but Owen knew him well enough to know he wouldn't stay away forever.

That memory really hit home how much of an asshole he was. He had pushed him too far; chose those who had left him for dead over the man who had breathed new life into him. (Haluk and Faye were his friends, but it wasn't fair that they got to spend their two years of suffering together. He was young and alone and they just- just told him to glitch off and _left._ He could never forget the days before Owen, could never forgive them.)

He knew Faye could tell something was bothering him. (Whether it had to do with her abilities as a Cypher, or her inherent talent to read people like a book that tipped her off, he didn't know.) She had given him one of her signature looks that meant 'talk later' when Haluk had gotten up to get another round of shots from the bar. He- he wasn't sure if he _could_ talk about it, though. He already knew what Haluk thought of his Cypher, had made it clear even before Owen revealed himself as a traitor, but Faye? If Faye felt the same way, he didn't think he could handle it. Owen was his _everything-_ even now.

=

It was well after dark when he met Faye in her usual spot, overlooking the courtyard. She smiled softly, nothing more than a slight upturn of her lips, and motioned for him to join her on her perch. (Usually, they met in the Enclave, but he guessed that she had picked up he'd been avoiding the place as well. It wasn't the same without Owen there. _Nothing_ was the same without him.)

"What's on your mind?" She queried, the gentle smile never leaving her face.

"I miss him," he blurted before he could stop himself. Granted, it seemed like an oversimplification of how he actually felt, but it was a start. Feelings were never really his thing.

"He betrayed you," the words were harsh, but her tone was gentle and forgiving. She stated it as if it was something as trivial as the weather forecast.

"I pushed him away." He couldn't stop the desperation from leaking into his words. He sounded like he was nineteen again, begging Haluk to understand that retreat was to only way to ever have a chance at silencing the Cenotaph. Somehow, her demeanor softened further.

"You loved him." And it wasn't a question. She knew just as well as he did that Owen- that Owen held a place in his heart that no one else could ever occupy. He nodded anyway, unable to hold back a few stray tears. He wiped his eyes, but more kept falling.

"Even if I find him, it'll never be the _same._ I _hurt_ him- pushed him away when he needed me most. How could I do that to him?" He sobbed helplessly. He shouldn't be burdening her with his problems- she had enough of her own to worry about- but she was being so _nice_ and everything was just so _much._ He felt himself being pulled into her side, and he curled against her like a child. (Although, he supposed she was a good decade older than him- much closer to Haluk in age than she looked.)

"The blame does not rest entirely on your shoulders. Owen's choice was his own. If anyone if guilty, its Haluk and I. Even when we began to welcome you back, we never offered the same courtesy to him. But in the end, Owen _chose_ to take the Javelin and join the Monitor." He knew the words she spoke to be the truth, but what good was the truth when it didnt change the fact that Owen wasn't here? Would he ever see his smile again? Hear his laugh, or another one of his bad jokes? Would he ever feel the warmth of his arms again?

"Why don't we go back to my place? I'll show you that show I was talking about earlier- Dawnguard- and in the morning, if you're up for it, we can start searching for him."

"Do you mean it? We'll really look for him?" He whispered, not wanting to get his hopes up.

"I mean it. _And,_ " she smiled," it'll be our little secret. What Haluk doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" He chuckled lightly, unable to help himself. 

"Yeah, until he finds out."

"We'll just have to be extra sneaky."

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, Anthem really is one of my favorite games. Not that the gameplay itself is anything special, but the characters are simply fantastic.  
> Its not often I find a game where it feels like the NPCs are real people, but Anthem did an amazing job with it


End file.
